CVE-2018-3094 in Outside In Technology
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Outside In Technology component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Outside In Filters). The supported version that is affected is 8.5.3. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via HTTP to compromise Oracle Outside In Technology. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Outside In Technology accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Outside In Technology. Note: Outside In Technology is a suite of software development kits (SDKs). The protocol and CVSS score depend on the software that uses the Outside In Technology code. The CVSS score assumes that the software passes data received over a network directly to Outside In Technology code, but if data is not received over a network the CVSS score may be lower. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.1 (Confidentiality and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L).
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2023
The CVE-2018-3094 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within Oracle Outside In Technology, specifically affecting Oracle Fusion Middleware version 8.5.3. This vulnerability resides within the Outside In Filters subcomponent of the broader Oracle Fusion Middleware suite, which serves as a comprehensive set of software development kits enabling applications to process and manipulate various document formats. The vulnerability manifests as an easily exploitable security weakness that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to compromise the affected system through HTTP network access, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed web services. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that malicious actors can exploit this weakness without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials, significantly expanding the potential attack surface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a specific flaw in how Oracle Outside In Technology processes incoming data, particularly when data is received over network protocols. According to CVSS 3.0 scoring, the vulnerability carries a base score of 7.1, indicating a high-severity threat with significant impacts to both confidentiality and availability. The attack requires human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or targeted user engagement may be necessary to facilitate successful exploitation. This aspect of the vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK framework tactics related to initial access and privilege escalation, where human factors play a crucial role in successful compromise. The vulnerability's impact can range from unauthorized access to critical data and complete access to all accessible data within the Oracle Outside In Technology environment, to partial denial of service conditions that can disrupt business operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3094 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized data manipulation. Organizations utilizing Oracle Fusion Middleware with the affected Outside In Technology components face significant risks, particularly those with web applications that directly process user-uploaded content or external data feeds. The vulnerability's potential for partial denial of service means that attackers could disrupt critical business processes by exhausting system resources or corrupting data processing pipelines. This vulnerability specifically affects the software development kits that enable document processing capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on document management, content processing, or data conversion services. The CVSS vector analysis indicates that while the attack requires network access and low complexity, the potential for significant data compromise and service disruption makes this vulnerability particularly concerning.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including applying Oracle's security patches and updates as soon as they become available. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks. Monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling unnecessary web services that utilize the vulnerable Outside In Technology components and conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all affected systems within their infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how insecure data handling can lead to remote code execution and data compromise in enterprise software environments.